Damaging Secrets

This was a first for me from this author and certainly not my last. I finished the novel in 2 days because it is such a captivating read. It’s extremely well written and had me hooked by the end of the first chapter based on the authors writing style. The murder itself contains so many twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the very end. All in all it’s a great solid mystery thriller novel that I highly recommend. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

This is a police procedural with a very strong female main character, and she's just great. The rest of the characters are excellent as well, and the story is told with just the right amount of dialogue for a first person POV. Very easy and entertaining to read, with some humor, but little suspense.

Fantastic!

From the beginning, I was hooked and completely invested in the characters and the storyline. Loved everything about it! Left me wanting a lot more. I can't wait until book 2.

This is most definitely going on my list of must read crime thriller series.

Thank you so much #netgalley and #severnriverpublishing for the eARC.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Detective Rachel Ryder moved fron Chicago to a small town in Georgia. She gets a call regarding a deceased individual who the coroner ruls as a suicide, but Rachel doesn't think so. This book kept me guessing.

Thank you to Severn River Publishing, Carolyn Ridder Aspenson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Wow. Detective Rachel Ryder is a force to be reckoned with in her debut novel. From the first page, the reader is pulled in and can't let go.

Hamby, Georgia is a small town hundreds of miles outside of downtown Chicago, where Rachel Ryder has lived all of her life. She is a Widow who has made promises to her late Husband and has moved to Hamby to fulfill them. She soon finds out that the Hamby police force and government are not what they seem and when a suspicious murder happens, she aims to solve it despite the fact that no one wants it solved.

This book was amazing. I loved the fast pace, the character descriptions and Rachel's own internal dialogue. She never took "No" for an answer and wouldn't let anyone stand in her way. I even loved her relationship with her fish. This is the first book I have ready Carolyn Ridder Aspenson and it won't be the last!

I feel with such an amazing book that it could have a better title. Damaging Secrets doesn't do justice to what this book is about.

Hooked from page 1!
Detective Rachel Ryder, from Chicago finds herself in Hamby, Georgia, for a new start after the death/murder of her husband. A suspicious person call is really a dead body, ruled suicide when it very clearly is murder. Ryder, new kid on the block and female, is told to drop the investigation as it is "clearly" suicide. Not one to give up that easy, and seeking justice, Rachel investigates, makes enemies and friends, bonds with her new partner.
Great new series, looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for an advance copy for my honest opinion.

Rachael Ryder is a detective who recently moved to the Atlanta suburbs while running from her previous life after her also detective husband was killed by contract in front of her.
Hambly is one of the safest places in the country with one of the lowest crime stats in the country, which is pretty much what Detective Ryder needs to help her process her loss in Chicago.

When she receives a call to investigate a suspicious person report (the call should have gone to the uniformed officers), she finds it's actually a DOA in which all evidence points to a sex crime murder, but the Chief ME calls is a suicide without doing an autopsy.

Rachael starts her own investigation dragging her unwilling (in the beginning) partner along with her as she discovers a string of crimes that start with the Mayor who has political aspirations, and the clues go all the way to the Governor's Mansion.

This is a well written story that is a huge step away from the author Carolyn Aspenson's normal works. And she hits a home run with it too.

There are no graphic descriptions of behind the door activities while at the same time letting you know what was going on due to the investigations. There is also the usage of profanity which is not used gratuitously.

I would like to thank Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, Netgalley and SRP for allowing me to have this advanced copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my thoughts.

Damaging Secrets by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson was a new book and author for me. It's always nice to discover a new author with lots of books under her belt. It's a Thanksgiving meal bounty of books - you can read until you're stuffed and then take a nap. No better way to spend an afternoon.

As police procedurals go, this was a a capable entry into the field. The lead, DETECTIVE Rachel Ryder is, on the surface, an annoyingly brash newcomer to a small Georgia town's police department. It seems she does her best to alienate everyone from her partner to the mayor. However, at her heart she is a crusader for justice, even if it puts her personal safety and professional credibility at risk. Pair that with the fact that most of her previous career was spent in the Chicago area and you have the war between the states all over.

What jumps off as an unconvincing attempt by the Chief of Police to cover up a homicide declaring it a suicide, quickly begins to unravel a much more convoluted and involved organized series of crimes involving some heavy hitters. Ryder and her partner soon find themselves involved in an unsanctioned investigation putting both their careers in jeopardy.

Like Ryder, I found the Southern women portrayed to be the stereotypical "belles", with nothing more substantial to do in their lives except cook and clean. I understand the context, but if you're particularly sensitive to this representation, you might find Secrets a bit heavy on the Southern "charm". Otherwise, I'd recommend Damaging Secrets and other books by Aspenson.

Suspense, crooked cops, murder, prostitution and small town politics that are every bit as dangerous as Chicago create a plot to have you on the edge of your seat and flipping pages as fast as you can read them! An entertaining read with characters that are intriguing and engaging to draw you in and a multi-faceted plot woven with twists and turns to keep you guessing. I am hopeful that this is the start of a beautiful new relationship with these characters as I hope many more books are to come. I am anxious to see what happens next!

Damaging Secrets is a gripping beginning to a new thriller series! New to the force, Detective Rachel Ryder is certain a murder is being covered up by local politicians. Thus begins a complex tale of murder, scandal and secrets in high places. Extremely well written, with a wonderfully twisty plot and well developed characters. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. Detective Rachael Ryder is new to the small town of Hambly. She receives a call to attend a suspicious person call out at a local hotel. When she gets there it is a different story when a dead body is discovered. All the evidence points to a murder but Ryder's superiors rule it as suicide. The Police chief and Mayor are keen for the crime rate to remain low for political reasons. Ryder is determined to find out the truth and starts to investigate making herself very unpopular. A brilliantly written fast moving thriller.

This is a new series and I believe a new genre for Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. Detective Rachel Ryder has recently moved to Hamby, GA from Chicago. The good old boy network is stifling her detective skills and intuition. When a local politician is found strangled in a hotel room Rachel cannot believe it was suicide.

This is a great mystery that I really enjoyed. Rachel has to make a friend or two, bond with her partner, and solve one of the largest crimes Hamby has seen. Can’t wait for more.

What a great start to a new series! It was suspenseful and had a few unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and Severn River Publishing in return for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

A wonderful new series from one of my favorite authors. A snarky female detective who believes in justice and will not overlook her principles of justice. Detective Rachel Ryder, a detective, has moved from Chicago to Georgia. Her decision to move was based upon her desire for a fresh start after the murder of her husband and fellow officer Tommy. When she and her partner are called to the scene of a “suspicious death”, she sees a murder, but the local mayor, chief and medical examiner rule the death as a suicide. Rachel won’t and can’t leave the case alone and continues to investigate, without the permission of the chief. Can she get her partner on board or will there be no justice for the murdered man? The town of Hamby has many secrets, but Rachel will not stop until she brings these secrets into the light. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Damaging Secrets is the first instalment in the Detective Rachel Ryder thriller series and is a captivating case of corruption and cover-up. When her husband, Tommy, is shot in the head and killed in the line of duty it breaks Rachel, and when she hears about an upcoming appeal for Petrowski who hired contract killer Johnson to slay Tommy it begins to cause Rachel major anxiety, not least because he had enlisted the prominent and successful Anthony Rossi as his defence attorney. Having moved from the bright lights of Chicago to the suburbs of Hamby, Georgia, Rachel hoped to gain a sense of peace and get back on the job albeit at a much slower pace in an area with a lower crime rate. She's ready to show Hamby Police Department that she can be an indispensable part of the team but it's clear that the equality she was used in the inner city doesn't always translate to more rural areas and she experiences this first hand. But beyond the discrimination and bullying there's corruption and it isn't just contained to the lower ranks. Meanwhile, Rachel’s on call when she is asked by Chief Mike Cochran to attend Hilltop Suites, 12467 Winder Parkway where a suspicious person had been reported. He tells her to let her more established partner, Rob Bishop, take the lead much to her annoyance. She pulls up to The Hilltop Suites Hotel in her trusty Jeep Wrangler, greeting Officers Michels and Merrill who were stood guard outside the entrance.

She has a feeling that someone is manipulating the crime statistics for the area as suspicious persons calls are recorded and calculated differently to Dead On Arrival calls; only the latter impacts the safety ratings of the city. A maid called in the body but Room 226 had been paid for in cash under the name Jane Doe. The victim is 56-year-old city councilman Troy Light found laying on the king-size bed with a thin blue rope around his neck, possibly pointing to death by erotic asphyxiation. It soon becomes evident that he was murdered despite the rest of the police department insisting it was suicide. Rachel cannot accept the case just being swept under the rug and believes that Chief Cochran and medical examiner Bubba Anderson were pressured into ruling it a suicide. She begins a clandestine investigation which soon puts her in extreme danger and reveals the prevalence of corruption throughout her department. Can she achieve justice for Light and stay alive in the process? This is a compulsive and enthralling procedural with enough action, twists, turns and shady, underhand dealings to keep you riveted and thoroughly entertained throughout. Moving at a quickfire pace, it's impossible not to become immersed and absorbed effortlessly into the world the characters inhabit; you really feel as though you are at Rachel’s side cheering her on as a strong, independent female in what is still very much a male-dominated environment. A scintillating and engrossing read. Highly recommended.

This book was amazing! Extremely well written with superb characterization. Exciting, entertaining, "unputdownable"!!! You will want to finish this in one sitting. I've read other Aspenson books but this is definitely her best one yet. I can't wait for the next book.

I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

I have been provided with a review copy of Damaging Secrets from NetGalley for an impartial review. This is the first book in the brand-new Rachel Ryder series and this was just such a great way to start off a new series. I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Damaging Secrets by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is the 1st book in the Rachel Ryder mystery series, and my first book by this author. Wow, this book got me hooked from the very beginning, and kept me reading until I was done. So many twists and turns, like riding on a roller coaster. I can't wait for Detective Ryder's next book in the series. I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Can Rachel Ryder be my new best friend? Carolyn Ridder Aspenson's newest detective is a funny, smart detective who has transferred from Chicago to small town Georgia. When Rachel is called for a dead body in a local motel, she finds the circumstances suspicious. The higher ups in the town don't want her to investigate to closely into this death. The closer she gets to some answers, the less they like it. I can not wait to see what Rachel gets up to next. Thanks to NetGalley, Severn River Publishing and Carolyn Ridder Aspenson for the ARC is exchange for a fair and honest review.

Damaging Secrets by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
Rachel Ryder #1

Excellent introduction to a new series. I have read and enjoyed previous books by this author but this one, I believe, is my favorite.

What I liked:
* Detective Rachel Ryder: A Chicago homicide detective who moved to the South, a widow, sharp, intelligent, nobody’s fool, snarky, still grieving, has a few trust issues, hates the politics of her job and could have a big future once she settles into her new job.
* Detective Rob Bishop: Rachel’s partner, a bit older, divorced, father, dedicated, honest, competent, worried about rocking the boat, a good partner for Rachel once they break the ice
* The dynamics between Rachel and Rob…it wasn’t easy for them to develop the trust necessary to work seamlessly
* The writing – excellent plot, pacing, character development and writing
* The police procedural aspect of the story
* Jimmy and Savannah Abernathy: Jim has a future in the police department and Savannah could end up a good friend to Rachel
* Lenny: an old friend of Rachel’s from Chicago – almost a father figure but also a mentor
* Sean Higgins: potential love interest or good friend for Rachel in the future
* Wondering what will happen in book two – I really want to find out more about the characters on a personal level, and also what they get up to next at work
* That the case was solved, and the criminals rounded up by the end of the story
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* The knowledge that was happening in this story, the crime and abuse, happens in real life and can be as devastating as it proved to be in this book.
* The idea that the person responsible for the death of Rachel’s husband might try to harm her in a future book.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn River Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars